Following defeat at York City and victory at Doncaster Rovers, Tuesday saw The Magpies continue their pre-season tour of Yorkshire at the New York Stadium of third tier Rotherham United.

The game ended in a draw thanks to Jeff Hendrick's late header, but that isolated moment of competence failed to compensate for what was an almost laughably inept display overall. It may well be about getting minutes in the legs at this stage, but that shouldn't preclude actually trying to play football.

The club's lack of transfer business thus far meant that those on the field didn't have the excuse of being unfamiliar to each other - but for most of the evening behaved like total strangers. 

A level of confusion was added by the late introduction of some rookies, but blame for the wayward and aimless 70+ minutes that preceded arrival their lay squarely at the feet of more established squad members.

Although Karl Darlow remains unavailable due to the effects of COVID and consequent hospitalisation, both Freddie Woodman and Mark Gillespie had completed their self-isolation - Woodman starting two years to the day that he'd last appeared for the club.

Within eight minutes of the first whistle though he was retrieving the ball from his net, after Mikel Miller's left wing cross was headed in by Wallsend-born Michael Smith - defenders and goalkeeper both seemingly guilty of a lack of movement.

A fine evening in South Yorkshire had followed a downpour at teatime and although the pitch itself was unaffected, the touchline areas were saturated and caused the ball to hold up several times.

The conditions couldn't be blamed for the lack of a response to going behind though; an abject opening half enlivened only by a 41st minute effort from Callum Wilson that cleared the crossbar.

Things improved marginally after the break, sustained pressure ending with home 'keeper Viktor Johansson blocking Federico Fernandez's back post header from Matt Ritchie's 53rd minute free kick.

Sean Longstaff then saw his effort saved before Dwight Gayle's run into the box ended with him dragging a low shot wide.

That revival proved to be short-lived however; the withdrawal of both Wilson and Gayle leaving Steve Bruce's side without a recognised forward on the field - Jeff Hendrick unexpectedly leading the attack.

And it was Hendrick who gave 1,500 Toon fans in the adjacent South Stand a rare moment to cheer, meeting Jacob Murphy's corner at the near post and converting a fine header.

Scraping the most unconvincing of draws against a third tier side wasn't enough to prevent a repeat of the half time booing at the end of the game however. Suffice to say that any vague feelings of optimism that victory on Friday had produced were erased by this non-display from a side that were tepid in the extreme without the indisposed Allan Saint-Maximin.

We did reportedly look similarly clueless last pre-season when losing to Boro and Stoke City - but both were of course played behind closed doors and with no season ticket sales imminent.

And while players continue to return to the squad as pre-season unfolds, the arrival of Graeme Jones back from his holidays is as keenly anticipated. Presumably he took the game plan away with him for safe keeping...   

Biffa